The diary of a Saudi man, currently living in the United Kingdom, where the Religious Police no longer trouble him for the moment.

In Memory of the lives of 15 Makkah Schoolgirls, lost when their school burnt down on Monday, 11th March, 2002. The Religious Police would not allow them to leave the building, nor allow the Firemen to enter.

Monday, May 22, 2006

A Million Thanks....

....Oh Modernizing Father Figure!

....Oh Engineer of Economic Reforms!

....Oh Grower of the Grecian Feline!

We thank you most sincerely for your economic reforms, especially charging the rest of the world more for their gas so that you can cut the price of ours!

Riyadh: There was a tremendous response from both citizens as well as expatriates to the campaign launched yesterday to collect one million messages of thanks to King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia.

The voluntary campaign has been kicked off in various parts of the country as a token of showing gratitude to a series of welfare measures being introduced by the monarch to improve the living standard of the people and giving them succour.

These reforms and welfare measures have earned the king the title of "Engineer of Economic Reforms." Abdurahman Al Mutawwa, director general of the campaign committee, told Gulf News that the campaign is aimed at highlighting the magnitude of gratefulness and appreciation that each citizen and foreigner is holding to the leadership of King Abdullah. He drew attention to a raft of measures and reforms introduced by the king.

Sadly, the "raft of measures and reforms introduced by the king" lost its little plastic inflation tube plug thingy, deflated, squirted bubbles, and sank ignominously before it got 100 meters. Anybody who can name one reform of his, apart from a general pay rise to government workers, cutting the price of gas, and a "can't lose, even if you're stoopid" Mutual Fund, gets a tin of the finest Friborg & Treyer Santo Domingo Snuff .

But why am I being churlish on such a day, when the loyal and devoted people of Saudi Arabia are sending in their thanks! And not only there. The people of the Religious Policeman blog join in the general tumult of appreciation! All the people over on the right, 22 visitors from 11 countries, or whatever, want to thank you for being able to pay $3 a gallon, or 1 Pound Sterling a liter, or whatever!